Hi, I'm running Zorin OS 17.3 on a Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX DDR4 motherboard with a Gen4-compatible NVIDIA GPU. However, when I check the PCIe link speed using lspci, it shows the GPU is running at PCIe 1.0 speeds (2.5GT/s) instead of Gen4 (16GT/s).
In BIOS, both 'CPU PCIe Link Speed' and 'PCH PCIe Link Speed' are manually set to Gen4. ASPM is disabled, and Secure Boot is off. I’ve also added pcie_aspm=off to GRUB and rebooted. Still, the GPU stays at PCIe 1.0.
I haven't physically opened the case yet to reseat the GPU, so I can't confirm if it's fully seated — that may be the next thing to try.
I also tried to update the BIOS to version F21c via Q-Flash, renamed the file to GIGABYTE.BIN, and placed it on a FAT32-formatted USB, but Q-Flash says 'Can’t read file'. Not sure if the file is bad or if the board is rejecting it.
So at this point, I’m trying to figure out whether this is a Linux power-saving quirk, a BIOS problem, or potentially a hardware issue like a loose GPU or bad PCIe slot.
Adjusted formatting, just wanted the post to be a little easier to read.
I'm not 100% sure this is a Zorin issue with the information available. Are you able to try another OS (pop OS, a newer Ubuntu, etc) and is the issue still present there?
Could you let us know more specifics on what kind of hardware you're running? Just in case there might be an issue present with your specific card, it would be good to know the exact model.
Reseating the card may not be the worst idea, but I personally would try another OS on a live usb first and see if it's potentially a software issue somewhere. Although reseating a gpu takes all of a few seconds, so it doesn't hurt so long as everything gets seated correctly, including checking the power connectors.
Because Your are using a Nvidia GPU: did Your System run in Wayland or X11/Xorg?. you can check that in Settings>About. When there stands Wayland, try it with switching to X11/Xorg.
To do that, go to the Login Screen (not the Lock Screen). Simply reboot for that. On the Login Screen, click on Your Profile so taht the Password Field appears. It has to be appeared. When it is appeared, you should see a Gear Icon in the bottom right Corner. Click on it and choose the Option ''Zorin Desktop on Xorg'' and then log in.
Antohter Thing: What GPU Model do You have and what Driver do you use=
I have a Gigabyte Board, too. Simply download the File, extract it and pack it in a Folder named as F21c and then put it on a USB Stick with FAT32 Format. Then turn off the PC. Put in the Stick, start the PC and go in the BIOS. Go there to the Flash Option. There choose the USB Stick, then the Folder and then the File in the Folder.
Rename the File to GIGABYTE.BIN is only when You flash the BIOS outside with the BIOS Button when Your System isn't compatible with too new Hardware. But because it already runs, I would suggest the Way described above.
Thanks @applecheeks37 — appreciate the formatting help and your suggestions.
I’ve since reseated the GPU, but unfortunately the PCIe link speed is still showing as 2.5GT/s (PCIe 1.0) in Zorin OS, despite BIOS settings being manually set to Gen4 for both CPU and PCH.
As for hardware specifics, the GPU is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (Device ID: 24c9), confirmed using nvidia-smi. The system is using the 570.133.07 NVIDIA driver with CUDA 12.8. Motherboard is a Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX DDR4.
I’ve yet to try a different OS, but I’ll test with a live USB (Ubuntu or Pop!_OS) soon to see if the issue persists outside of Zorin.
Thanks again — will report back once I’ve done that test.
Just an update: I’ve now booted into Ubuntu via Live USB, and the PCIe link speed is reporting correctly as Gen 4 x16 (16GT/s) using lspci -vv.
That confirms the GPU, motherboard, and PCIe slot are functioning properly at full speed. So the issue seems to be specific to Zorin OS, likely a driver, kernel, or power management quirk.
Next step for me is to update/reinstall the NVIDIA drivers in Zorin and investigate any kernel parameters or power settings that might be forcing the link to Gen 1 speeds.
Appreciate the help so far — and I’ll share any findings if I get it working in Zorin.
Update: PCIe Gen 4 Working in Zorin OS After Kernel Upgrade**
Just posting a follow-up for anyone facing a similar issue.
Originally, my RTX 3060 Ti was stuck running at PCIe 1.0 speeds (2.5GT/s x16) in Zorin OS 17.3, despite correct BIOS settings and Gen 4 hardware. Here's what I did to resolve it:
Steps Taken:
Reseated the GPU
Physically removed and reinstalled the graphics card to ensure proper seating.
Verified power connections
Double-checked that both GPU power connectors were fully plugged in.
Tested in Ubuntu Live USB
Booted into Ubuntu from a Live USB to rule out hardware issues.
PCIe link speed in Ubuntu showed 16GT/s x16 — confirming the hardware was fine.
Upgraded the Linux kernel in Zorin OS
Zorin 17.3 ships with an older kernel, which may lack full PCIe 4.0 support for certain GPUs or motherboards.
I installed a newer kernel using the mainline tool:
* After rebooting into the newer kernel, I checked again with:
sudo lspci -vv | grep -A 15 VGA
And confirmed the GPU is now running at PCIe Gen 4 speeds (16GT/s x16):
LnkSta: Speed 16GT/s (ok), Width x16 (ok)
Conclusion:
The issue turned out to be kernel-level — likely limited driver or PCIe support in the default kernel shipped with Zorin 17.3. Upgrading to a newer kernel resolved it completely.
Big thanks to the community for the help — I hope this helps someone else dealing with the same thing!
Steps Taken:
Conclusion: